Appearance Texture Overall Palatability

Frozen Fruit Not Faded Soft Sweet

Cocktail

Frozen Ripe Mango Not Faded Fibrous Balance of sweet

and tartness

Table 1 indicates the sensory characteristics of the Frozen Fruit Cocktail

and Frozen Ripe Mango.
After being kept in the freezer for a week, the Frozen Fruit Cocktail maintains its
original color and appearance without any signs of fading. This is due to the freezing
process. The process inhibits the enzyme activity responsible for food spoilage and
color alteration. It effectively preserves the cellular integrity of the fruit, halting enzymatic
reactions and microbial growth that commonly result in deterioration and color changes
in fresh produce (Wang et al., 2022). Its texture becomes soft for there's a creation and
eventual dissolution of ice crystals within its tissues. When fruits are frozen, the water
inside their cells freezes, forming ice crystals (Oyinloye & Yoon, 2020). These crystals
can lead to the breaking of cell walls, resulting in a softer texture when the fruit thaws or
experiences slight temperature changes in the freezer. Over time, even minor
fluctuations in freezer temperature can cause these ice crystals to melt and refreeze,
further contributing to the softening effect (Dawson et al., 2020; Van Der Sman, 2020).
Hence, the overall palatability of the Frozen Fruit Cocktail is sweet due to the
concentration of sugars in the fruit as water content freezes. When fruits are frozen,
water inside the fruit forms ice crystals. This process doesn’t remove water but rather
changes its state, which means the sugars and other soluble solids in the fruit become
more concentrated in the unfrozen portion of the fruit tissues. As a result, when you
consume the thawed fruit cocktail, it may taste sweeter than it did before freezing
because the relative concentration of sugar has increased compared to the water
content (Sun et al., 2023; (Žlabur et al., 2021).

For the Frozen Ripe Mango, after a week stored in the freezer, its color is still
intact with its appearance still not faded. This is because freezing causes the water
inside the fruit to form ice crystals, maintaining its structure and color (Nowak &
Jakubczyk, 2020). As such, enzymes that facilitate ripening and decay are significantly
slowed down at low temperatures, contributing to the preservation of the mango's
appearance (Liu et al., 2022). Its texture becomes fibrous for the reason that ice crystals
form (Choi et al., 2015) within the fruit’s cells (Neri et al., 2020). When the mango is
frozen, water inside its cells expands and forms ice crystals, causing damage to the cell
walls and structure. As a result, when the mango thaws, the damaged cell walls lead to
a fibrous texture rather than the original smooth consistency (Khuwijitjaru et al., 2022).
Hence, the overall palatability of the Frozen Ripe Mango is a balance of sweetness and
tartness on account of the natural chemical processes that occur during freezing (Amit
et al., 2017). Freezing slows down the enzymatic reactions and microbial activity that
can cause spoilage while allowing the flavors to develop and intensify over time (Liu et
al., 2022). The breakdown of complex sugars into simpler sugars, leads to a more
pronounced sweetness (Drewnowski et al., 2012), while the acids added to the fruit also
concentrate during freezing, contributing to its tartness (Mehta et al., 2019). This
balance is a result of enzymatic activity and chemical changes that occur as the mango
freezes and thaws, altering its flavor profile (Hossain et al., 2014; Mehta et al., 2019).
Furthermore, the extended storage period allows the mango’s sugars and acids to
harmonize, enhancing the overall taste experience, and resulting in a perfectly balanced
blend of sweetness and tartness (Maldonado-Celis et al., 2019; Pielak et al., 2020).

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